OZARK KIDS’ SWAP!! is a children’s clothing exchange, where families are invited to bring their hand-me-downs to trade, free of charge, with other families. Please help us spread the word!

Saturday, May 11, 2013
11:00am until 3:00pm

Yellow House, 209 Trish Knight St., West Plains, MO 65775

Please join us for the first bi-annual Ozark Kids Swap, where we will swap our children’s used clothing! The concept is simple– gather up all your no-longer-needed children’s clothing (preemie sizes to teen, maternity and nursing wear, and baby carriers) sometime between now and May 11. If you happen to have it together between now and May 10th, email us at OzarkKidsSwap@gmail.com, or call us at 417-501-6063 to pre-register and pre-sort, which will help us to have clothes on the table when the event starts. You are also welcome to show up at the Yellow House anytime during the event, and we’ll have a volunteer help you sort it out onto the tables, labeled “12 months and under”, “2T”, “3T”, etc. Then shop for swap at tables where you can find clothes your kids’ sizes. We’ll count your items for you, and we encourage people to take close to the same number they brought, though we ALWAYS end up with PLENTY of clothing to go around, so if you’re in need, assess the demand, and take what you feel you will use! All the surplus will be donated to the Christos House thrift store, or another thrift store you recommend. Volunteers needed for pre-sorting, set-up, child care, working the event, and clean up! Also, we’ll take up a collection to cover the $20 ($5/hr) Yellow House rental. See rules and guidelines below. You are also welcome to contact us at the above email and phone number for questions and more information. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Swap Rules and Guidelines

Don’t forget, it’s on Sat., May 11, 2013, at the Yellow House on Trish Knight Drive, from 11am to 3pm. Watch here for updates, or follow us on Twitter: @OzarkKids!

For those who are new to clothing swaps, this is a great opportunity to bring in clothes that your children have outgrown and exchange them for something “new”. In the past, Maggie and Abby have worked on various projects to benefit those in their hometown of Lawrence, KS. One such project, which benefited hundreds of families, was a bi-annual clothing swap for kids! It was a huge hit and there were some fabulous items – Hannah Anderson dresses, Gap jeans, even sweet little suits! AND NOW IT’S COMING TO WEST PLAINS! Spread the word – more people means more clothes to chose from!

The event starts at 11:00, but you can come at 10:30 to check-in. You can also pre-register by emailing OzarkKidsSwap@gmail.com. When checking in we will count the number of items you bring and let you know, so that you can try to keep the number of things you swap close to the number you brought. At 11:00 you can start shopping. If you would like to shop but don’t have anything to swap, that’s ok! We can accommodate! While the swap is free to participants, it isn’t free to host. We are requesting donations to cover the $20 ($5/hr) rental fee for using The Yellow House.

Here are the rest of the rules:1. Try to keep the number of clothes you take close to the number of clothes you brought. If your need is greater than your ability to contribute that’s fine – all things will balance out in the end! But to ensure that there’s enough to go around, do your best to keep the numbers close.

2. Please try to bring items in CLEAN, wearable condition. They don’t have to be perfect but please don’t bring items that are mildewed or are very shabby. If an item isn’t in good enough condition to wear to school, church, or Grandma’s house, it will be put in a separate section. We understand that kids get clothes dirty and wear the knees out of jeans, and we understand the need for clothes that are OKAY to get muddy. The clothes that will be part of the main swap itself should be free of stains and holes, though; any clothes that do not meet these criteria will be put on a separate table marked, “Play Clothes”.

3. Small items like socks and underwear can be put in quart sized ziploc bags and will count as one item. Again, please only bring items that are clean and in good condition. All items (other than those in bags) will count as one ticket regardless of size.

4. We will only take maternity clothes, baby carriers, and boys and girls clothing and shoes – preemie sizes through teens. No old toys, strollers, or other baby gear. We will be happy to talk with folks about planning another swap for these kinds of items if the interest is there. Just let us know!

5. All items left at the end of the day will be donated to an area community center, school, or other non-profit (ie: Christos House). You may not come back to retrieve your old items.

Also – we are looking for clothing donations and volunteers! If you can’t attend but have clothes you are willing to donate, please email and we’ll make arrangements to pick them up. We want to have a good selection for people to choose from. We will also need people to help out the day of the swap. If you are interested, please email us at OzarkKidsSwap@gmail.com, or call 417-501-6063. In exchange for volunteering, you will be able to “shop” before the doors open on the 11th and throughout the event. We will need people there starting at 10:00 to help set up and check people in, to help direct “traffic”, and to help tear down after the event.